BREAKING: Game 6 Likely Highest Rated NHL Overnight in 37 Years

A win for the ages for Chicago Blackhawk fans will likely go down as a game for the ages for the NHL.

Game #6 between the Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers, won by Chicago on a bizarre Overtime goal by Patrick Kane, scored a hockey-massive 5.7/10 overnight rating, likely making it the highest rated National Hockey League game in 37 years, breaking a mark that last year’s Penguins/Red Wings Game 7 set. This is perhaps the highest-rated game on record, and the first time I’ve ever seen a 10-share associated with an NHL game.

The game peaked from 11-11:30PM with a terrific 7.1/13. The game finished in 2nd place overall in the ratings from 8-10PM, while the lowest rated half-hour was 8PM again, with a 4.3/8, topping almost every half-hour of Game 1. The game averaged a 6.6/11 in the 10PM hour, winning that particular timeslot, before coming up with the huge 7.1 rating after 11PM. The telecast ended at 11:30 PM. The game scored a total 5.5/9 in primetime.

Overall, the game was up 30% from last year’s Game 6 (a 4.4/7). Overnights from Game 7 of last year’s record-setting Penguins/Red Wings game are unavailable. Numbers are preliminary, but all indications from the metered markets are that this game will break that game’s ratings, as the game drew a final rating of 4.2 and 7.9 million viewers, and the ratings for Devils/Mighty Ducks in ’03 (4.6, 7.1 million viewers) to become the highest-rated hockey game since 1973.

There’ll be more later. You can bet on it. Even in my wildest imaginations I couldn’t have drawn this figure up. This is going to be a very good day for our sport.

Related

The goal was scored before 11 PM, is it really such a cause for celebration that people tuned in to see their local news, saw that the game was over and stuck with hockey because they assumed the news was about to start?

That was a very odd end to a final game. The goal light didn’t go on, and neither NBC nor CBC was exactly sure what was happening. Credit where credit is due, the Doc’s call was better than Jim Hughson. It’s hard to blame Jim Hughson for the odd circumstances but the winning goal will not go down in history as one of the greatest calls in Hockey Night in Canada history.